The disease has spread rapidly in China since March when children aged between two and six began to be admitted to hospitals in the central Chinese province of Anhui displaying symptoms of the potentially fatal virus.
The virus has so far claimed the lives of 28 children in the central, southeastern and southern regions of China.
It has also spread to the capital, Beijing, the host city for this year's Olympic Games. The virus is expected to reach its peak in June and July, shortly before the Games opening ceremony in August.
The country's health ministry pledged on Wednesday however that the outbreak would not affect the Beijing Olympics.
"Health departments at all levels including those in Beijing will ensure the HFMD outbreak does not affect the Beijing Olympics," Xinhua quoted a health ministry spokesman as saying.
The Chinese media has criticized the authorities for not announcing the outbreak of the virus until mid-April, even though the first deaths occurred in March. They have compared the official reaction to the cover up of the SARS epidemic in 2003.
Almost 1,500 children have also been infected with the virus in Singapore this week, although no deaths have been reported.
